R & R

It’s been a rough stretch. A massive writing deadline met; a busy on-call week; my dear grandmom’s stroke, passing, and funeral. It’s rare for me to sign out of clinic for more than a week, and usually I feel guilty. This time, plagued by TMJ headaches, neck and back muscle spasms, fatigue and anxiety, I gratefully signed out, and took off. The timing of our family summer vacation, arranged a year ago, is most serendipitous.

Here we are, on the coast of Maine, and here I am, in full recovery mode. The kids are thrilled beyond thrilled. Family is coming and going, there’s barbecues and bonfires, hermit crabs and sundry beach creatures, barely any bedtimes, new found freedoms. Yes, we’re taking full advantage of nearby lobster pounds, local breweries, and gourmet ice cream shops. But we’ve also planned an active vacation, with long days stretching into late evenings spent on the beach. And, we’re maintaining our basic self-care routines, including early morning beach walks and jogs, stretching, quiet reading, and sleep. Loads of sleep.

Ah, but it must end. The aches and pains of the past months will inevitably recapture my muscles. There will be plenty more deadlines, call weeks and crises.

Meantime, I will extract every ounce of joy (and soak up as much sun as possible) from these delicious days on the coast.